Walking with Heroes
by The Perpetual Shadow
Summary: Thrown into a world that shouldn't exist, Aiden joins the band of heroes as they battle to stop the Blight, discovering some pretty weird things along the way. NOTE: CANCELLED
1. Chapter 1-Arrival

**This is my first ever fanfiction so I hope you enjoy!**

The man lurched upwards. He gasped and held his head in both hands as white hot pain flared inside his brain, forcing him to lie back down. After a few moments the pain vanished, leaving him panting on the cold grass. He sat up again, confused.

" _Who am I?"_

 _Aiden_

The name rolled through his head, as if he was looking at a billboard.

" _Right…..now where am I?"_

No answer came that time, unfortunately.

Aiden groaned and glanced around him. He was lying in what appeared to be a field. It was dark, with...two moons? Getting up he noticed with some shock that he wasn't wearing his usual jeans, shirt and hoodie. Instead he was wearing….chainmail?

"I must be dreaming" he said aloud. He pinched himself on the arm. "Ow….ok maybe not dreaming"

Under closer scrutiny, it was revealed that he had a light chainmail vest that covered his upper body. It had iron shoulder guards and a chest guard, which covered the centre of his chest. He also had rusty gauntlets which didn't cover his hands. They were covered by thick leather gloves. He had no armour on his legs, however, instead he had boots and trousers, but no sword.

" _I must have had too much to drink"_ Aiden thought with an inward groan. He reached into his pocket for his phone to call someone, but he had no pockets. "Damn it" Aiden muttered, then paused.

" _What happened?" "I can't even remember leaving home, and why am I dressed like some man-at-arms?"_

Suddenly, a scream pierced the night air, loud and fearful. Aiden froze and looked around frantically, looking for the source. The scream rose again, louder this time.

" _It came from the left"._

Aiden sprinted towards the direction he thought the scream had come from, ducking under the branches of a group of trees on the edge of the field. He saw a building that he assumed to be farmhouse. The scream came again, closer this time. Aiden ran around the house and spotted some trouble. A woman was holding a young child who looked no more than six or seven in her arms while a man, presumably her husband armed with a wood axe, was facing off against three armed and deadly looking men. Sean stopped.

" _Where the hell am I?"_

The farmer was putting up a good fight as he did have his family to protect. One of the men, bandits it would seem, charged at the brave farmer, wielding a longsword. With a snarl the outlaw swung the weapon at the farmer, trying to behead him. The blades' intended victim ducked and the sword hissed over his head. The farmer then smashed the handle of his axe into the bandit's stomach. The bandit staggered and barely managed to deflect the follow-up blow from the farmer's axe.

Aiden was no fighter, but he knew he needed to do something so he charged empty handed at the attackers. Neither the bandit nor his companions noticed Aiden until he tackled the chief aggressor, knocking him down. The sword dropped, Aiden landed punches on the bandit's face, who hit back, striking Aiden on the jaw and knocking him away. Cursing, the bandit looked around for his sword. Spotting it, he moved but didn't get far as the farmer seized his chance and buried his axe in the man's chest. Aiden managed to get to his feet despite his head still ringing and saw the bandit fall away as the farmer retrieved his tool.

That was the first time Aiden saw someone die and it wouldn't be the last.

Aiden looked up to see the other two bandits moving towards them, shock being replaced by rage. The first man had a crossbow which he aimed at Aiden's face. "You'll pay for that, scum!" he yelled while the other bandit, wielding a mace, closed in on the farmer, who gripped his blood-stained axe in both hands with a grim, but determined look on his face. The farmer looked at Aiden. "Pick the damn sword up boy!" he ordered.

Aiden leapt to the ground, a crossbow bolt zipping over his shoulder. His hand grasped the hilt of the dead bandit's sword. It was a lot heavier than he expected it to be, but he hefted it and charged the crossbow wielding bandit. The man was trying frantically to reload his weapon and didn't have any time to react as Aiden skewered him through the stomach. The bandit let out a strangled gasp and sank to the ground, taking the sword with him. Aiden realised what he had done.

" _Oh god…. I've just killed someone"_

He was snapped out of his state of shock when the farmer let a cry. Whirling around, he saw the farmer on the ground with a bloody arm. The last bandit smiled, and raised his mace to deliver the killing blow. Aiden drew the dead crossbowman's sword from his scabbard, and ran to the rescue. However, the bandit turned before Aiden reached him, and knocked Aiden's sword out of his hand with a single blow. Aiden stumbled backwards, barely avoiding the second swing, which would have shattered his ribs. Before the bandit could recover, Aiden jumped at him. The man lost his grip on the mace but he grappled with Aiden, trying to strangle him. Aiden's vision began to falter, but he thrust a hand upwards into his attacker's face. He felt a strange thrumming sensation in his fingers, which quickly became heat. The bandit screamed in pain and Aiden heard the sizzling of burnt flesh. He grabbed the bandit's dagger from the sheath, and jammed it into its owner's throat. Letting the body fall, Aiden staggered back. The farmer and his family were staring at him warily.

"Um….hi?" he said, relieved that none of them had been killed. _"These don't look like farmers back home" "Their clothes look medieval. Either that or they're very poor"_

"Are you an apostate?" the woman demanded, glaring at him as if he would burn down their house, despite the fact he had helped save their lives.

"What's an apostate?" Aiden asked, confused.

" _Wait a minute….no it couldn't be, could it?"_

Aiden remembered the video game that he had played regularly and recently completed. _"No, surely not, maybe it's a dream after all"_ "Where am I?" he asked, hoping it was indeed a dream, and if it was one, then he wanted to wake up. The farmer and his wife exchanged a shocked glance. "You're in Ferelden lad" the farmer said slowly. "And you are clearly a mage, since you burned that poor bastard's face off" he added. Aiden's legs buckled. _"Impossible, this has to be a nightmare"_ The white-hot pain flared in his mind once again and he blacked out.

 **Let me know what you thought of it and tell me what mistakes I made :).**


	2. Chapter 2-Highever

**Hello again!**

 **Chapters will be longer from now on so enjoy :)**

" _Ah, good, you are here. Please sit down"_

Aiden winced, as bright light flooded his vision, and then dissipated, leaving a pleasant view of a familiar office. In fact, it was his office at The Irish Times building in Dublin, complete with a stack of work papers, and an equally large stack of gaming magazines"

" _Great, this was all a dream. Or maybe it's a new dream and I'm in some mental hospital screaming in my sleep."_

" _Afraid not my friend"_

"What the..."

" _Please sit down, we have much to discuss"_

Aiden finally noticed who was sitting in what should be his chair. It was a man, who looked plain enough, with Aiden's short dark hair and round face. The difference was however, that his skin was a light brown colour compared to Aiden's paler complexion. A big difference however, was that his eyes glowed purple. He was dressed in a trench coat of the same colour.

"Oh shit!" Aiden yelled backing away from the desk. "What are you, and where am I?"

" _Aiden, please sit down. I can explain things to you, but you need to calm yourself"_

The….man's mouth didn't move when he spoke, yet the words echoed around the room. Aiden sat.

The man smiled.

" _Finally, we are getting somewhere"_

Aiden watched the man nervously.

"Who are you?" Aiden asked.

" _You would not know me, but I am called Ba'alzamon"_

The man paused, as if waiting for a reaction. When none came, he continued.

" _So, are you enjoying Thedas so far?"_

"What does that mean?" Aiden demanded. "I can't even remember my last name, or how I got here, so if you don't mind, can you tell me what the fuck is going on?"

Ba'alzamon raised an eyebrow.

" _You can't remember anything?"_

"No, I woke up in the middle of a field with a splitting headache"

" _Ishamael warned me that this might happen"_ Ba'alzamon sighed and leaned back in Aiden's chair. _"At least you remember your name and most of your life. The last poor sap he transported couldn't even tie his own shoe laces"_ He chuckled.

Aiden stared at him, confused. "So why did you bring me here, and who are you… what are you?"

" _I am merely a beginner at experimentation_ " Ba'alzamon spread his hands dramatically. _"Ishamael is an expert at dragging people from their worlds and dumping them in another….without an explanation as to why. Since this is my first time, I thought I would have a chat with my champion before he goes back into this new world to….. Kick some ass?"_

"I'm your champion?" Aiden laughed. "I'm no champion"

" _How do you know?"_ Ba'alzamon asked. _"All you have done is sit at a desk using those fascinating computers."_

"Exactly" Aiden said. "No heroic stuff for me, and that's the way I like it"

" _Well, too bad"_ The annoying spirit/god grinned. _"You're stuck in Thedas now, until you complete this task"_

"Well, I did always wonder what it would be like to be in Thedas. So what do I have to do?" ….Aiden…..

Ba'alzamon grinned from ear-to-ear.

" _Why you'll love it!" "You, my friend are going to join the Warden's party and help stop the Blight! How awesome is that?"_

Aiden's mouth dropped to the floor of the office.

Ba'alzammon was watching him, as if he had just given his son his first car and was waiting for the reaction.

Aiden managed to compose himself. "What do you mean? I'm no warrior. I can barely lift a sword"

Ba'alzamon waved his hand dismissively. _"You will have help of course. Your teammates and the power I have given you, which will help you with your fighting skills"_

"Does that explain why I burned that bandit's face? Am I mage?" Aiden asked with mixed feelings. He thought mages were the most overpowered class, and that's the class he used to complete his own game with. However, due to the reaction mages normally got from the people of Thedas, if he used magic to fight, he would be labelled an apostate and be hunted by a bunch of very angry Templars.

" _No, you are not a mage. Rather, I have given some of my power to you, which you can channel to create all sorts of useful, incredibly dangerous effects to slaughter your enemies"_ Ba'alzamon smiled happily, pleased with himself. _"However, only use it when around people you can trust, or you will indeed be mistaken for a mage and an apostate"_

Aiden was shocked. He had a chance to actually join the Warden's party, and meet all the characters. Alistair, Leliana, Wynne, Morrigan…..AMAZING!

"So how do I use this power?" He enquired.

" _It will come to you slowly"_ Ba'alzamon said. _"The fire you used should come easier now. The headache that knocked you out strengthened the power within you"_

"So, every time I become more powerful, I will end up getting knocked out?!" Aiden glared at him. "What if it happens in the thick of battle?"

" _It only happened because you were in shock and fatigued. It shouldn't happen again"_

"And if it does?"

" _Then hopefully not during battle"_ Ba'alzamon shrugged.

Aiden sighed. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

" _Nope" Ba'alzamon said, cheerfully. "But you will enjoy it, I can promise you that"_

"But what do I do now? Do I have to go to Ostagar? And who is the warden?"

" _I would start at Highever"_ Ba'alzamon replied gravely. _"Rendon Howe will soon begin his attack upon it"_

"Dam, so the warden is a Cousland" Aiden muttered. "I was hoping for the mage"

" _A family massacre is a much better story"_ Pointed out Ba'alzamon.

"Not to them, I'll bet."

Ba'alzamon clapped his hands together. _"I believe that draws our discussion to a close. Do try and not get yourself killed, I would hate to have Ishamael laughing at me for all eternity"_

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of letting that happen" Aiden said, forcing a smile.

" _Good luck!"_ Ba'alzamon yelled, as the bright light began filling Aiden's vision, blocking off the view of the office.

Aiden opened his eyes and for a moment, he lay there confused. Then the memories of the past night, as well as his confusing yet intriguing conversation with Ba'alzamon flooded his mind, causing him to groan and rub his temple, feeling pretty bad about the situation. He surveyed the room he was in. He was in a bed covered with straw and firs, with a small table with a chair and a candle in the corner of the room. The door was shut, but he could hear noises outside. Deciding not to leave the room just yet, Aiden sat back down on the bed and thought about what he should do. A thought came to him suddenly, and he looked around frantically for his amour, to no avail. However it would seem that someone had dressed him in a loose cotton shirt and trousers.

Sighing, he stood up and stretched. _"This must be the farmer's house, although they probably think I'm mad. Ah well, I know where I am now and what I need to do"_

So saying, he walked to the door and opened it gently. A nice smell, just like the mincemeat stew he enjoyed so much climbed up his nose. His stomach growled as he realised how hungry he was.

"Good evening lad, I'm glad to see you're awake" the farmer greeted him as he closed the bedroom door. His host and his family were seated at the dining table tucking into their meal. The son was now staring wide-eyed at Aiden, making him uncomfortable.

"And to you" Aiden replied politely. "Um...what happened?"

"You passed out cold" The farmer grinned as if he found the whole thing very amusing. "Smack on the ground amidst those poor devils"

"How long was I out?" Aiden asked. Ba'alzamon was confident that Aiden would succeed, but he wanted make sure he would be on time.

"Rest of the night, and most of the day" the farmer replied, getting out of his seat and walking over to his guest and holding out his hand which Aiden shook. "Name's Daylen. And this is my wife Freda, and my son Malcom"

"Aiden"

"Pleasure to meet you" Daylen smiled.

"Thank you for helping me" Aiden said gratefully.

"We should be the ones thanking you" replied Daylen. "If you hadn't showed up, we would most likely be dead and our farm burned to the ground"

Aiden shrugged. "It was pure luck, I'm no fighter"

Daylen cocked his head. "So what you did, that was magic wasn't it?"

Seeing Aiden's expression, he laughed. "Don't worry lad, we aren't going to hand you over to the Templars. Don't have much love for them myself after what some of e'm did to a cousin of mine"

Aiden relaxed, the man seemed genuine and he needed information anyway.

"What date is it?" he asked, although he thought he knew the answer.

Daylen looked at him for a moment. " 16th Guardian, 9:30 Dragon. Are you feeling all right lad?" he asked, noticing Aiden had gone pale.

"Yes, I'm fine" Aiden said quickly. "I need to get to Highever, could you point me in the right direction?" _"Dam it, dam it, it's the day that Howe attacks. I need to be there by nightfall"_

Thankfully, Daylen accepted his reassurance and grinned. "You're not too far away, bout 3 and a half miles. Looking for work?" he asked and Aiden nodded.

"You could stay and work for me" He paused, and then went on. "You look like a strong lad"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline" Aiden responded. _"It would be so much easier to do just that, but I can't"_

Daylen nodded. "Will you at least join us for dinner?" he asked. "Freda made sure there was enough for you too"

Aiden thought for a moment. He knew he needed to reach Highever without delay, but he was positively starving. With a smile, he accepted and seated himself with Daylen and his family. Malcom had finally stopped staring, and attacked his food with renewed vigour. Aiden had to stop himself from doing the same thing, but he still ate faster than normal. Freda also warmed to him and soon the four of them were chatting away. Aiden found that the family were good people and he winced when he realised that they might not survive the Blight.

He was surprised when Daylen handed him his armour, neatly cleaned and polished, complete with one of the bandit's swords. Aiden eyed the bandit's crossbow and decided to take it, as it was a pretty accurate weapon. Armour on, with sword at his side and the crossbow on his back, Aiden said his farewells to Daylen and his family and began his trek to Highever.

Aiden kept up a good pace. He may have spent a good amount of his time sitting at a desk, but he had gone on regular walks and was far from overweight. He did eventually have to take a rest, which led to him sinking to the ground against a large rock and reaching for the water skin Daylen had given him. After swallowing several large mouthfuls of cool water, he put the water skin down and held up his hand, staring at the palm. Just like Ba'alzamon had said, he could feel the flames. It was as though the potential of his power was sitting in the back of his mind, waiting to be unleashed. Aiden concentrated on it, willing it to surface. He felt the thrumming in his hand again and purple flames appeared, dancing along his palm. He smiled and raised his hand, pointing towards a nearby rock. He took a deep breath and willed the flames to shoot forth, which they did, covering the rock. When he lowered his hand, the rock was definitely smaller than it had been before, and completely black. To his shock, he saw that the rock had even cracked in some places.

Aiden was awed and slightly sick at seeing how powerful the flames were. _"And Ba'alzamon said that there would be more abilities. God I don't know if I should be happy or disgusted with this. Break is over anyhow, I have to get to Highever before it's too late"_

Shouldering his equipment once more, Aiden continued on his way. He reached Highever around midnight and ran to the top of a small hill, where he was treated with a nasty view. Highever was burning, Almost half the houses were on fire and Aiden could see the last of Howe's men enter the gates. Cursing, he readied his crossbow and sprinted down the hill towards the flaming Teyrnir.

Aiden crouched low behind some bushes, observing the open gateway. From within he could hear screams and the clash of swords.

" _I need to find the Warden and Duncan before they escape"_ Aiden thought, making sure his crossbow was loaded. He probably could have just used newly discovered power, but he didn't want to have to burn anyone alive, if possible. Looking at the gateway, he noticed that a pair of Howe's soldiers had been posted there, presumably to kill anyone who tried to leave.

" _Right, I'll have to deal with these two"_ Aiden raised the crossbow and aimed it at the nearest soldier. When he was sure he wouldn't miss, he fired. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, the soldier decided to bend down and scratch his foot. The crossbow bolt struck the stone wall behind him with a clang. He looked up sharply and Aiden cursed, fumbling with the weapon. The soldier looked behind him and spotted the bolt. Yelling a warning to his companion, he drew his sword. His companion held his shield in front of him and advanced towards the only hiding place nearby. Aiden's hiding place.

Aiden finished reloading the crossbow and aimed at the first soldier, the more vulnerable target, Aiden reakoned, due to the fact he had no shield. To his great satisfaction, the second bolt tore through the man's leather armour in the chest, launching him backwards with a scream. The second soldier, spotted Aiden's position and charged towards him, knowing that he needed to reach him before he could reload. Aiden did not try to reload the crossbow, dropping it as he pulled his sword from its scabbard with one hand and raised it to parry the first strike. Finding the courage, which he never knew that he had within him until arriving in Thedas, he attacked the soldier, landing heavy blows upon the shield and forcing him to stagger. While his opponent was concentrating on holding his shield above his head to deflect the rain of blows, Aiden changed tactics and cut at the man's unprotected legs. The soldier screamed and fell, dropping his weapon and shield. Aiden stood over him, sword raised to deliver the killing blow. But he paused.

" _I can't do it. I'm turning into a murderer"_

But as Aiden stared down at his vanquished foe, who looked at him with hatred and fear, he remembered what this man's companions were doing in the castle that very moment. He brought the sword down, through the man's throat, killing him almost instantly. Aiden withdrew his sword and stared at the blood on it, before looking down at the man he had killed. He started to shake, and for a few moments he sobbed, pitying himself and pitying the man he had just killed in cold blood. Shaking his head to clear it and wiping his eyes, he picked up his sword and crossbow once more. Not looking at the corpses of the soldiers, he ran through the shattered gates of Highever. He stopped almost immediately when the smell of blood hit him like a hammer. Aiden stared around in shock and horror at the sight that greeted his eyes. He had known what to expect when he entered the castle but it didn't make it any easier. Bodies were everywhere, in various death poses. He could not avert his gaze from the small and frail body of a child, sightless eyes staring at him. Horror slowly gave way to anger and he shouldered the crossbow and drew his sword. _"Screw it, I'm going to burn any of Howe's men I see"_ Aiden readied his….spell, and smiled grimly at the purple glow of the flames in his hand.

As it turned out, Aiden got his first real chance to test out his power quite quickly. He turned a corner and almost ran into a trio of Howe's dogs. They had taken an interest in a barricaded room, and were trying to kick down the door with their leather-clad feet. Aiden approached them silently. They were too occupied with the door to notice him before he had stabbed the one furthest from the door in the armpit. The man let out a bloodcurdling shriek and Aiden kicked him off the blade, ignoring the fresh spray of blood that covered his armoured chest. The soldiers began to move, but Aiden raised his hand and a searing blast of purple fire consumed the two men. They didn't even have a chance to scream, as the fire melted their armour and bodies alike. Aiden stepped over the remains and he burned down the door. He found two cowering elfish servants in the corner of a room filled with clothes and mannequins.

" _I'm sure those bastards wanted the clothes"_ Aiden thought, chuckling to himself.

"Quickly, get out of the castle, before more soldiers show up!" Aiden yelled at the servants, who wasted no time in fleeing from the room and running back the way he had come. He dispatched several more attackers and found some rooms he recognised; the library, bedrooms, the treasure room, until finally….."Yes", Aiden breathed as he reached the kitchen. This was where the PC had escaped with Duncan, during the Human Noble Origin. However, the larder door was hanging off its hinges, great chunks of it missing. Aiden ran in to the room, "Shit, I'm too late" he groaned. The Warden and Duncan were gone. Bryce Cousland, the Warden's father lay dead, a gaping wound the obvious cause of death. But Eleanor, the Warden's mother was still alive, if barely. Several of Howe's men lay dead around them. With a single look at the blood pooling around her, Aiden knew she wouldn't last long. He crouched beside her and she seemed to sense his presence.

"Who are you?" She asked weakly. "One of Howe's lackeys come to finish the job?"

"No my lady" Aiden replied. "I came to help"

Eleanor eyed him for a moment. "You're not a guard and I don't recognise you, but I need you to do something for me" She coughed, and blood spewed from her mouth. "I need you to help my daughter escape Howe. The men who stabbed me went down the passage after her. Please stop them" She grabbed hold of Aiden's hand. "Promise me!" she hissed. "I promise" Aiden spoke without hesitation. Eleanor smiled and her eyes went blank…

Aiden sighed, and closed her eyes, muttering a prayer. He gently placed her head on the floor and stood up.

" _This never happened in the game. Or maybe it did, but it just wasn't depicted"._

Aiden knew he had to hurry if he was going to catch up with the duo, so with one last look at the dead Couslands, he ran into the passage, following the future Hero of Ferelden.

He exited the castle through an already open trap door that was situated at the base of a tree. Frantically, he looked around.

" _Ostagar is in the south of Ferelden. I can see the sea, which means I go in the opposite direction and I hopefully find Duncan and the Warden"_

Aiden didn't have to go far. After a few minutes of running and jumping over obstacles, he heard the now familiar sound of the clashing of swords. Not hesitating, he drew his own sword and sprinted in the direction of the fighting. He found a clearing, which held the source of combat. Knowing he had reached his goal, Aiden became even more nervous. There was Duncan, dark hair held back from his face in a ponytail, a calm look on his face, as he engaged three of Howe's men at once, sword and dagger flashing mesmerizingly, as he parried all of their attacks. He wore that 'cool' looking set of armour that Aiden had wanted for his character. The other, the warden, Aiden presumed, was wielding a pair of silvery daggers and fighting with an all consuming rage, which was understandable, as her home was burning, and she'd been forced to abandon her parents to die at the hands of a backstabbing weasel. She was wearing a beautifully crafted set of leather armour that fit her perfectly, but no helm, leaving her long dark hair flying around her head. The two of them seemed to be holding their ground, but Aiden noticed a pair of enemy archers taking aim, and that spurred him into action. Marching forwards, he dropped the first archer with a blow to the back of the neck. The second archer didn't hear him, taking aim at Duncan. Aiden calmly put his sword through the unfortunate man's back. One of Duncan's opponents changed targets and charged Aiden with his warhammer above his head. With a shock, Aiden realised that the moving mountain descending upon him was a knight.

" _Shit!"_

Aiden rolled to the side, as the massive weapon came down, almost crushing his skull. The knight recovered with surprising speed, lifting the hammer and turning so fast that Aiden was barely able to get a hit in. The knight roared as Aiden's blade cut him deeply along his side, but the blow only seemed to enrage Aiden's opponent further. Aiden found, that he was easily able to evade the giant's blows as his armour was light and he only had a sword. He didn't wish to use his power in front of the Wardens, especially Duncan, so he carried on dogging until the knight tired. Finally, the knight raised his warhammer above his head for a final strike. This left him vulnerable, and Aiden saw his chance, darting in and putting his sword through the knight's eye slit. Looking around, Aiden saw that Duncan and the warden had defeated their opponents and were watching him warily.

He sighed and rose to his feet, surprised that he didn't remember sitting down.

"Um….hello"

"Who are you?" Duncan asked, sheathing his weapons, but remaining on alert.

"My name is Aiden. I happened to be on my way past Highever when I saw it was burning, so I went to see if I could help"

"Why did you try to help?" demanded Cousland. "The castle was under ATTACK!" Her hands had not let go of her daggers, she was gripping them tightly, and her hands were shaking.

" _Yeah, she's going to feel like crap for a while"_ Aiden thought sadly.

"Easy Selene, he helped us" Duncan said, kindly but emphatically. The way he spoke reminded Aiden of his father.

"I didn't realise it was under attack as there was no soldiers nearby. I was attacked further in the castle and that's when I realised what was happening" Aiden explained. "I found the kitchen and the larder…"

Now Selene was looking at him in dread. "My parents…" she said slowly, and Aiden could she tears welling in her green eyes.

He took a deep breath. "There were a few dead soldiers and a man's body dressed in fine clothes"

At this, a strangled sob came from the woman, and Aiden looked at her with pity before he went on. "There was a woman there, she was badly injured and there was nothing I could do"

"Why did you come after us?" Duncan asked, over Selene's sobbing.

"Her mother made me promise to help her daughter escape" Aiden replied, looking Duncan in the eye.

"Do you know who I am?"

"You are Duncan, commander of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden" Aiden said. "And you are taking Selene to be a Grey Warden, yes?"

Duncan nodded. "Indeed, I am Duncan. How do you know me?"

"Selene's mother told me"

Duncan nodded again, thoughtful.

"We are going to Ostagar. We need to bring the king news of Howe's treachery. But we are a gathering at Ostagar for a reason. A blight has begun and the armies of Ferelden are uniting to fight off this threat"

Aiden grinned.

"Well if that's the case Duncan, then count me in!"

Duncan eyed him. "Are you asking to join the Wardens?"

Aiden knew that, if a warden survived the Joining, they would have about thirty years to live, before receiving the Calling. It was a nasty price to pay.

"I'm not exactly sure about that, but I want to help, however I can" Aiden decided.

"I think you would make a fine warden" Duncan said. "You fight well"

"I'll….think on it"

"Good" Duncan said. "We need every soldier we can get, if we are to have a chance at victory"

Aiden looked at the dead soldiers.

" _Well…..here we go"_

 **Any feedback would be appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3- Ostagar

The trip to Ostagar was mostly uneventful, although the trio ran into a group of bandits who immediately regretted their fateful decision in attacking them. Aiden decided not to use his "magic" for now. Revealing his abilities would raise a great many questions, and he just did not want to answer them. Instead he fought hand to hand with the bandits, targeting the several archers, and some of the isolated enemies while Selene and Duncan fought the more heavily armed foes. Selene took out her rage and grief upon the bandits and Aiden was glad not to be on the receiving end of it.

They reached Ostagar two weeks after the attack on Highever. Selene had been quiet most of the way, only speaking when spoken to, and never saying anything more then what was necessary. Her movements were mechanical. During the game, the player had never been able to express their character's grief and anger, bar a few angry comments. Aiden hoped Selene would be able to cope with what she would have to do.

Another headache had struck him on the journey. But true to Ba'alzamon, the ache had not knocked him cold.

So that was something.

Aiden felt stronger now. After the ache had faded, his head had been filled with knowledge of a new ability. He had practiced when the other two hadn't been looking and to his delight, he was now able to create a shield sized wall of energy that deflected a bandit's arrow, allowing him to close with the man before running him through. He knew that would come in extremely useful in the future, although he could not maintain the shield for long. He was no able to focus the fire energy into small bolts of fire that he could use at longer ranges. He had sparred with Duncan, every night they had made camp, and he felt it was safe to say his combat skills had improved, although he was nursing bruises every night.

As they entered Ostagar, Duncan telling of how the battle had been going so far, Aiden thought about his offer.

"If I accept, then I should be sorted, unless I die in the joining, but I would have only thirty years to live, unless I get killed by darkspawn. I may be the only way to stay with them"

Aiden glanced ahead, and spotted a flash of gold.

"Well, well"

For nonetheless then King Cailin himself, approached the group.

"Duncan!" The King in his shining golden armour with an impressive jewelled greatsword strapped to his back greeted the Warden-Commander warmly, shaking his hand.

"King Cailin!" Duncan replied, startled. "I wasn't expecting….."

"A royal welcome?" The king laughed. "I was beginning to worry you'd miss all the fun!"

"Not if I can help it, your majesty" Duncan replied calmly.

"So I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle. Glorious!" Cailin said proudly, facing away from Duncan, and gazing down the path, head tilted slightly back. Duncan shifted, and stood to attention at the King's side, looking awkward. After a few moments, Cailin recovered, and turned to face Duncan once more.

"You sent word that you found a new recruit. I take it this is she?" He asked, smiling at Selene, who bowed.

"Selene Cousland, your majesty" She replied, politely.

The King beamed.

"Ah, you are Bryce's youngest, are you not? I don't think we've ever actually met"

Selene shared a look with Duncan, before replying.

"Are you not aware my family is dead?" She asked quietly.

Cailin blinked, and then frowned.

"Is this true Duncan?" He asked in disbelief.

"It is your majesty" Duncan confirmed. "Arl Rendon Howe's forces attacked Highever, killing the Teryn and his wife, as well as everyone in the castle. If we hadn't escaped, he would have killed us too and told you any story he wished"

Cailin's face turned thunderous. He stalked a few meters away and turned back to face them.

"Unbelievable….How does he think he'll get away with such treachery" He clenched his fists. "As soon we are done here, I will turn my army north and bring Howe to justice, you have my word"

"Thank you, your majesty" Selene bowed again.

Cailin noticed Aiden. "And who are you, my good sir. Are you a recruit as well?"

Aiden bowed. "I am Aiden…..Brandt, your majesty, and yes, I am a recruit"

"Excellent!" Cailin smiled. "Every Grey warden is needed now; you should be honoured to join their ranks. Oh, I'm afraid I must be off, Logain waits to bore me with his strategies"

The poor man looked like he was about to go to school. Which where Logain was concerned, he probably was. Aiden had to suppress regret as he knew what would happen to the King.

"Pity, I liked the man in the game, even if he was a bit of a child"

"Your majesty!" Selene blurted. "Do you know where my brother Fergus is?"

"Last I heard, he was scouting in the wilds" Cailin replied. "I'm afraid he won't return until after the battle. I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do"

With that he was gone, accompanied by his bodyguards.

"Does this mean you will become a warden?" enquired Duncan.

"I've thought it over, and yes I think I will" Aiden said.

"Good" Duncan smiled. "Now I have business to attend to, so please feel free to explore the camp. All I ask is that you do not leave it for the time being. When you are ready, find Alistair, another member of the Order"

Aiden and Selene nodded, and Duncan walked away.

"Coming?" Selene asked Aiden, inclining her head towards the camp.

Aiden jumped slightly, having been lost in thought. "Huh? Oh yes, let's go"

They explored the camp, meeting Daveth, who seemed a little…odd. They came across Ser Jory near a Chantry Priestess giving blessings to a group of soldiers. She asked the two, if they wanted her blessing. Selene accepted, but Aiden refused, much to the shock of the priestess. Selene gave him a surprised look, but said nothing until after they had met the dog handler, who had begged them to search for a flower that would help heal the dogs.

"Are you not an Andrastian Aiden?" She asked him, seeming that it would be hard to accept such a thing.

"I have no need for religion" Aiden said dismissively. "I simply live my life, and I do not trust a god will take care of it for me. Besides, what good is a god who abandoned his followers?"

Selene seemed taken aback at this, but she accepted.

"It's hard for me to believe, considering current events" She said sadly, tears appearing at the edges of her eyes.

Aiden put his gauntleted hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry….I didn't mean to…"

Selene seemed angry at her tears, and dabbed furiously them.

"Its fine" She muttered, and stalked stiffly away.

Aiden stood for a moment before jogging to catch up to her. She had placed a mask of calm over her face, and Aiden could not guess her thoughts. As they walked, Aiden thought about the Origins in the game. Out of all of them, he thought the Cousland had it the worst. They had to watch their family home along with their family perish. Then of course they would be forced to join the Wardens and THEN they would have to lead a group of misfits to do the unthinkable and save the world.

"No pressure"

Aiden recognised where they were going. It was where Alistair was supposed to be. Sure enough, he was present in the exact same spot as in the game, and conversing with the same mage, who was positively fuming. Alistair on the other hand, had an amused look on his face with a smile threatening to break out.

"Enough!" The mage finished his rant. "I will speak to the woman if I must!" He stalked haughtily away, shouldering his way past the two recruits. "Out of my way fools!"

"Charming fellow" Aiden muttered, staring at the mages retreating back.

"I wanted to hit him, but it wouldn't make a good first impression" Selene shrugged.

Aiden turned to face Alistair, and was stunned at the likeness. Apart from some stubble on his chin, Alistair looked just like he did in the game. Just more….alive. He had a permanent goofy look to his face, and his mouth seemed ready to crack a smile at any time.

"He looks like a puppy" Aiden sniggered to himself. He had always liked Alistair as a character, but he had to remind himself that this was real life, not a video game.

"You know, the one good thing about a Blight, is that how it brings people together" The half-Templar sighed, gazing at the retreating mage.

Selene stared at him, while Aiden only snorted, remembering that line.

"You are a very strange man" She observed.

Alistair chuckled "You're not the first woman to tell me that" His eyes narrowed. "You don't happen to be mages, do you?"

"No" Selene assured him.

"I don't think now is the right time to tell them about my… abilities. I'll wait until we trust each other a bit more" Aiden thought.

"Do we look like mages? You must be Alistair" He smiled and held out a hand, which Alistair shook.

"I am, and you are?"

"I'm Aiden, and this is Selene"

Alistair nodded, and shook her hand.

"I take it you are the recruits?"

At the duo's nods, he grinned.

"Well then, let's go and find Duncan. We should proceed with the Joining before the battle starts"

"What's the Joining? A ritual of some kind?" Selene asked.

"Yes, but I'm afraid it's all a big secret until the moment, so I'm afraid you will have to wait"

Selene grumbled something under her breath and Aiden chuckled

"This is amazing! I want to fist bump the air"

Fortunately Aiden didn't, as it would have gained a lot of attention. The three of them marched back through the camp, Selene asking all sorts of questions to Alistair about the army, the darkspawn, and Fergus. Aiden was content to follow them and admire the scenery around them. He recognised the blacksmith who was accusing a very flustered soldier of stealing a helmet that he had just laid out for sale. He didn't notice Alistair was trying to get his attention, until the man waved a hand in front of his face.

"Huh?"

Alistair laughed.

"Selene told me you helped her and Duncan escape Highever"

"I just happened by" Aiden said.

"We still could have been shot by those archers, if you hadn't intervened" Selene pointed out.

"I promised to help you" Aiden said, shrugging. And I plan to do just that"

"And maybe have an adventure along the way?"

They reached the bonfire. Duncan was staring into the flames, which cast a flickering glow on his armour. Daveth was conversing with Ser Jory, who looked extremely uncomfortable. His face lit up with relief when he saw them approach, disengaged himself from Daveth and almost ran to meet us.

"Great you're here, it was getting boring" He exclaimed.

Daveth came up alongside him, causing the knight to scoot a little further away from the rogue.

The group gathered around the bonfire, and Duncan began his speech about what the recruits would have to do. After receiving the expected order to find the Darkspawn blood and the treaties that would save Ferelden, the group readied their gear and prepared to leave. Alistair offered Aiden a shield, but Aiden refused, as he preferred to have one hand free to use his magic.

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked him. "You may be a bit exposed"

"I'm sure Alistair, I think shields are too heavy and awkward" Aiden replied.

Selene marched over to the pair, having heard the exchange.

"He's right, shields are too restricting, give me daggers and speed any day" She grinned at Alistair, who snorted.

"Suit yourself, but I get to say I told you so when you get mauled "

Not even five minutes after leaving the relative safety of the ruins and enter the wilds; the group were attacked by a pack of wolves. After a dozen of their number was slain, the rest of the wolves took the hint and left them alone. They encountered no more evil things until they found the ambushed patrol. Alistair, Selene, Aiden and Jory carefully walked amongst the corpses, looking for survivors while Daveth kept a lookout. Aiden made straight for the centre of the path and found the wounded soldier from the game. He knelt beside the man, wincing as he saw the wound. It looked like a darkspawn had hacked off the eternity of the man's side, leaving a gaping hole that smelled of rot and death.

"Alistair, over here!" Aiden yelled, and Alistair bounded to his side.

"Maker…." He murmured.

On hearing his voice, the man stirred and raised his head to look at the pair.

"Who are you?" He asked weakly, than coughed. "No matter. Our patrol was attacked by darkspawn"

"We could bandage him up, at least" Aiden said, looking at Alistair.

"I have some bandages in my pack" He agreed, bandaging the unfortunate soldier's side. He staggered to his feet and groaned.

"Thank you…I need to get back to camp"

They watched as he limped back the way they had come, blood leaking through his bandages.

Aiden waited for Jory's outburst.

"Did you hear that?" the knight pointed at the departing soldier. "An entire patrol of seasoned men killed by darkspawn"

"We'll be careful Jory" Alistair replied calmly.

"Those men were careful!" Jory retorted, raising his voice.

"Overcoming these obstacles is part of our test" Selene said, glaring at him. "Quit whining, and let's go" She marched off down the path, her daggers drawn and ready.

Alistair glanced at her for a moment, before turning his attention back to Jory. "Grey wardens can sense darkspawn" he told him. "They won't surprise us"

"You hear that Ser knight?" Daveth spoke up. "We might die, but we'll be warned about it first"

"That's….reassuring"

"Come on," Aiden interjected, grinning. "Let's not let Selene get too far ahead"

As it turned out, Selene had stopped just around the corner. She was inspecting a flower.

"Is that the flower the kennel master asked us to get?" Aiden asked, kneeling beside her.

He already knew it was of course, but hey, he had to keep up the pretence. He knew the others wouldn't believe him, unless perhaps he could tell them their own secrets. And even then, they still probably wouldn't believe him and probably think he was some sort of demon. He also wasn't how to handle the magic problem. (He was just calling it magic, because honestly? He had no idea what it was)

"Yes, I believe so" Selene replied, cutting the flower away with her dagger.

"Great, some dogs may survive"

Selene pocketed the flower and stood up, seeing the others approach. Aiden followed her as she joined them.

"Enough delays" She grumbled and took the lead. Aiden exchanged an amused look with Alistair and trekked after her.

Alistair stopped suddenly and drew his sword, scanning the trees around them.

"Darkspawn!" He yelled, just as the creatures in question barrelled out of the forest, growling with rage and bloodlust.

Aiden froze upon seeing them. He had considered darkspawn ugly in the game, but seeing them in real life made his blood run cold.

Their skin was rotten and pulled tight over their bodies. Jagged teeth protruded from their mouths, their lips pulled back in a permanent snarl. They were clad in crude armour, a mix of leather and bits of metal, hurriedly cobbled together. They wielded equally poor quality weapons, jagged swords, axes and maces. Aiden spotted small stocky Genlocks, taller and stronger looking Hurlocks and even a Hurlock Alpha. Thankfully, as far as he could see, there were no emissaries. Swallowing his nausea at the sight, he drew his sword and charged with Alistair and Jory. Daveth was launching arrows at the horde, earning enraged shrieks from his victims. Jory had overcome his fear, and was screaming a battle cry, as his greatsword cut through the darkspawn. Alistair was using his shield to smash the monsters back, and then striking at them when they lost their balance. Selene had vanished, presumably doing some roguish stuff. Aiden joined the fight, clashing blades with a Hurlock. The monster leapt at him, and he sidestepped it's blade, thrusting his own into its side. Remembering the dangers of its blood, he withdrew the blade just as quickly, escaping the river of tainted blood from the wound. A genlock charged at him, and he split its skull in two, before it even got to raise its weapon. Another came at him from the side, its growl alerting him to its presence. He turned, barley blocking the blow aimed for his head. The genlock snarled at him, and swung at him again. He parried the attack once more, and neatly severed the genlock's weapon hand from its arm. The creature barley paused, ripping a dagger from its sheath and trying to stab Aiden's sword arm. With a curse, he avoided the blade and decapitated the genlock with one swift strike. A few more kills later and the only darkspawn left standing was the Alpha. Selene had dealt with the genlock archers in the trees and had come back to aid them against the surviving darkspawn. She now drove both her daggers into the creature's back, driving them to the hilt. The Alpha roared, and tossed her off it. Alistair shield bashed it, causing it to lose its balance which gave Jory and Aiden the chance to cut it down.

"Well that was…fun" Aiden remarked, sheathing his sword.

"Heck, it was actually fun. Who knew I'd enjoy combat this much"

That thought worried him slightly.

"Everyone alright?" Alistair asked, checking himself for unnoticed injuries.

When everyone replied in the affirmative, Alistair produced four glass vials and filled them with darkspawn blood. He placed them carefully in his pack, and straightened.

"Now we have to find those treaties"

The group started walking again, though weapons drawn, in case of another darkspawn attack, of which there were several, although smaller groups then the first one. Thankfully there was no more Alphas amongst them, just plain genlocks and hurlocks. The darkspawn did not surrender, or flee. They fought to the last, trying everything they could to bring down the humans. One hurlock refused to die, despite losing both of it's arms. It tried to reach over Alistair's shield to bite his face. Daveth shot it down.

Twenty minutes after the first battle, they found more handiwork of the darkspawn.

Bodies.

Dozens of bodies lay scattered around what looked similar to Ancient Greek ruins, in piles or alone. Half a dozen were hanging by their necks from the only intact arch.

"Do darkspawn do that?" Aiden asked, pointing to the hung soldiers.

"Sometimes" Alistair answered him, looking uneasy. "It's their sort of "mark" on the area. They were probably already dead. Hopefully"

It didn't take them long to find the culprits of the massacre. The party had just been about to cross a wooden bridge, when Selene whirled around and parried a knife aimed for her back. The genlock rogue was knocked off balance, and Selene was able to slit it's throat. That wasn't the end however, as more darkspawn emerged from the swamp itself, rising like zombies, with water dripping off them and weeds caught on their armour. One Hurlock sought out Aiden, who laughed as he saw the weeds trapped on the creature's helmet. It looked like dreadlocks. Aiden decapitated it, and then moved on to the next one.

There were no archers amongst the darkspawn thankfully, but it was still hard going. Several genlock rogues kept trying to surprise attack one of the party members, but Daveth kept a look out, felling the beasts one by one.

As Aiden kicked a Hurlock off his blade, he heard a shriek.

"Look out, Aiden!" Selene yelled.

Aiden turned and saw a Hurlock emissary. It was standing in the middle of the bridge, looking around in anger as it took in the bodies of it's comrades of destruction. It looked at Aiden, letting out a guttural snarl, then raised it's staff.

"Ah, for fu-"

A fireball shot from the end of the staff, hurling straight for Aiden. He just had time to raise his hand, and feel his shield flare into existence. There was an impact and fire filled his vision, as he was hurled through the air. He hit the ground with the breath knocked out of him and his arms singed a bit from the fire, but otherwise untouched.

"Ow…." He muttered, as he pushed himself up. He heard a shriek, and turned to see the emissary get run through by Alistair. Selene was approaching him, with a surprised look on her face.

"How?..."

Aiden knew he would have to reveal it sooner or later, so he raised his hand and purple fire flickered along it.

"Magic" He said.

"You're a mage?"

"Yeah…"

"So why do you use a sword?" She pointed at his weapon, which was somehow still in his hand.

"It helps hide the fact that I'm a mage" Aiden shrugged. "And it works…"

"Alright, then it will be useful"

His eyebrows shot up at that.

"You don't hate mages?"

"I think they should be freed" Selene said simply.

Aiden relaxed. Selene was fine with it; although he was pretty sure it wasn't "Normal" magic.

Alistair and the others trotted up.

"How did you survive?" He asked incredulously .

Aiden repeated what he had just said, Alistair's eyes widened.

"But you use a sword! And you said you weren't a mage!"

"I never said I wasn't a mage" Aiden protested. "I said that I didn't LOOK like a mage"

Alistair grumbled for a moment, before sighing.

"Alright never mind, you can use the magic now right? To help in those life threatening situations"

Aiden nodded. "I'm afraid I don't know much….. I only have the shield and the fire"

"It doesn't matter, it will still be useful"

With that, the party moved out. Jory and Daveth didn't seem to care about Aiden being a supposed mage, and Selene seemed to think it was a good thing.

"So…why do you use a sword, and wear armour?" Alistair asked Aiden, while walking alongside him.

"I can use a sword" Aiden replied. "I think it is a good thing to be able to fight, and have magic to help me, don't you think?"

"I've just never seen a mage who fights in armour" Alistair chuckled. "The circle mages would think you had grown two heads"

"I don't generally use the magic often"

"You think it's a curse?" Alistair asked.

"No….but I know it can be dangerous, so I be careful"

"Hey guys, I found something" Yelled Daveth from the head of the group.

It turned out to be the ruined Grey Warden outpost. The group had to fight their way through a bunch of angry darkspawn. Aiden used his "magic" during the fight, conjuring a shield to deflect darkspawn arrows and roasting several with fire spells. Finally, once they had finished off the last darkspawn, they entered the ruin. It was hard to miss the broken chest sitting in the middle of the ruin. As Selene moved to look inside the chest, Aiden thought

"And cue Morrigan"

Sure enough, that condescending and scornful witch emerged above them.

"Well, well, what have we here? Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger, poking in the midst of corpses whose bones were long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn filled wilds of mine in search of easy prey?"

While she talked, she glided down the old staircase, as if she was entering a ballroom.

"What say you? Hmm? Savanger, or intruder?"

Pretty much everyone in the party was having a hard time not staring at her…attire.

Selene was the first to speak.

"I would first know who you are" She demanded.

"You are the intruder here" Morrigan replied. "I believe, the first question is rightfully mine. I have watched your progress for some time. Where do they go? I wondered why they are here."

She moved passed them to stand on the edge of the ruin, looking out at the swampy forest.

"And now, you disturb ashes, none have touched for so long. Why is that?"

Alistair and Daveth had a hand on their weapons.

"Don't answer her" Alistair spoke to Selene, glaring at Morrigan. "She looks Chasnid, and that means others may be nearby"

Morrigan threw up her hands dramatically.

"You fear barbarians, will swoop down upon you!"

"Yes…..swooping is…bad" Alistair muttered.

Daveth had his bow half drawn.

"She's a Witch of the Wilds, she is! She'll turn us into toads! He exclaimed, putting one hand on his face, as if Morrigan would go away if he didn't believe she was there.

Morrigan scoffed. "Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends. Have you no minds of your own?"

She turned back to Selene.

"You there, women are not cowards. Tell me your name, and I will tell you mine"

"You may call me Selene" the rogue said stiffly.

"And you may call me Morrigan"

Aiden smirked.

"Already knew that. And a few other things as well"

"Shall I guess your purpose?" Morrigan continued. "You sought something in that chest, something that is here no longer?"

Aiden decide to ignore the rest of the conversation he knew so well, and instead turned to thinking about his situation. He was here, on Thedas, soon to be a Grey Warden. He was supposed to aid Selene and her party against the blight.

It was pretty awesome, but he still couldn't get his head around it all. It seemed too far-fetched to be true.

Selene snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hey Aiden, are you coming?"

Aiden turned to see the party at the entrance to the outpost. Selene was beckoning to him, while Morrigan looked amused.

"Oh…yes" He shook himself, and jogged after them. To Flemeth's hut, and then a massive battle, where very few would survive.

After meeting with Flemeth, who spun her undecipherable chatter, before finally handing over the treaties. Aiden could have sworn shock flickered across her face when she saw him, but he wasn't sure, it was too fast.

"Come on, let's go"

Alistair was holding the treaties to his chest, as if they were children.

Aiden sniggered and the party moved back down the path towards Ostagar.


	4. Chapter 4-Joining and strategies

"I don't like this" Jory muttered.

Aiden looked at him with exasperation. "What now, Jory?"

"Why all the tests? Haven't we proven ourselves enough?"

Aiden sighed. The knight was getting on his nerves. When the party had returned from the wilds, Duncan had been concerned when Alistair had told him of Morrigan and her mother. He had decided to ignore it, reminding them that the battle was going to start in a few hours and that they needed to proceed with the Joining. He had not let go of his admittedly excellent poker face when he learned of Aiden's magic but told him in monotone not to go around burning down any villages.

So now the four recruits (And Alistair) were waiting for Duncan at the same part of the ruins where Aiden and Selene had met the former Templar.

Selene was impatiently fingering the hilts of her daggers, and seemed to be considering hurling them at the complaining Jory. She had got her hands on a bow from the blacksmith at the camp, and a quiver of steel tipped arrows. Alistair was standing uncomfortably with his arms folded and gazing at the ground. Daveth however, was leaning against what was left of pillar, picking at his nails, looking bored.

Finally Duncan approached, holding the dreaded silver chalice, which he set on a stone table. "At last we come to the Joining. The Grey Wardens were founded during the first Blight, when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was then that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint" The Commander's face was calm as he spoke the ceremonial words.

Jory blanched. "We're going to drink the blood of those….those creatures?"

"As the first Grey Wardens did before us, as we did before you. This is the source of our power, and our victory" Duncan replied without looking at him.

Alistair nodded. "Those who survive the Joining become immune to the taint. We can sense it in the darkspawn and use it to slay the Archdemon"

"Those who survive?" Selene asked, folding her arms.

"Not all who drink the blood will survive and those who do are changed forever. This is why the Joining is a secret. It is the price we pay. We speak only a few words prior to the Joining, but these words have been said since the first. Alistair, if you would?"

Duncan stepped back, and began pouring a mixture of…. Lyrium, darkspawn blood, and a drop of Archdemon's blood, if Aiden remembered correctly.

Alistair bowed his head. "Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and that one day, we shall join you"

Aiden saw Jory's eyes dart to the silver chalice, and back to Alistair.

" _It's a pity that Daveth will die. And Jory I suppose. I feel more pity for the wife and son then the man though"_

Aiden chuckled to himself. He had been in Thedas for less than a month, and already he was indifferent to the imminent death of two men. Thedas was a hard land alright.

Duncan stepped forward with the chalice held out. "Daveth, step forward"

Without hesitation, the rogue stepped forwards and took the chalice, drinking from it. He staggered away from Duncan and clutched his head as a pained scream burst from his lips. Choking he fell to his knees, his eyes completely white, then collapsed.

"Maker's breath!" Jory cursed.

Duncan's face was pained. "I'm sorry, Daveth" He moved towards Jory.

The knight started backing away. "But….I have a wife! A child! Had I known…."

Duncan continued his advance, causing Jory to back up into a pillar.

"There is no turning back" Duncan said, softly.

"No! You ask too much!" Jory put a hand to his sword. "There is no glory in this" He drew the blade and struck at Duncan, who nimbly deflected the attack with his dagger, before driving it through Jory's chest. Jory gasped once as he died.

Aiden knew that this was going to happen, but he couldn't stop a wince at the knight's death. Selene's angry expression had disappeared for once, and she now wore a look of shock. Alistair looked sombre, but he had probably seen this sort of thing before.

"I am sorry, Jory" Duncan whispered, before lowering the knight's body to the ground. "But the joining is not yet complete"

He turned and looked at the remaining two recruits.

"You are called upon to submit yourself to the taint for the greater good. Selene, step forward"

Selene took the chalice from Duncan's hand and drank. She staggered and collapsed on the stone floor. Alistair ran to her side and checked her pulse. Apparently finding one, he sighed with relief.

"She'll live"

Duncan held out the chalice to Aiden next.

" _This is it, the moment of truth"_

Aiden grimaced at the black liquid, then tilted his head back and swallowed. Almost immediately a fierce pain hammered against his skull, bringing him to the ground.

"From this moment forth, you are a Grey Warden"

 **Linebreak!**

"Huh, I was expecting to dream of the Archdemon" Aiden said aloud. He was standing on a bridge which stretched out across a vast river. He thought he could see a waterfall in the distance, the sun reflecting over the water and making it shine brightly. Beyond the waterfall lay a valley, covered by a forest of pine trees.

" _Nice view, isn't it?"_

Aiden jumped and glared at Ba'alzamon who had appeared out of thin air beside him. The deity grinned at him, although the glowing purple eyes made it look menacing. He then walked over to the railing and leaned against it. Aiden joined him.

"So what happened? Am I dead?" Aiden severely hoped not.

Ba'alzamon laughed.

" _No, no, everything is fine"_

"Then why am I here again?" Aiden asked, with an annoyed glare and a folding of arms.

Ba'alzamon stepped back from the railing and clasped his hands behind his back.

" _We have watched over the worlds for countless millennia, we have seen empires rise, and entire worlds fall"_ He chuckled and looked at Aiden. _"Did you know that it was Hitler's bastard son who shot him in the head?"_ He laughed again. _"We were present when Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades cut their father Kronos into pieces, followed by the adventures of Percy Jackson and his comrades. We saw Tarmon Gai'don, The Last Battle against the Shadow. We watched when Isildur cut the Ring of Power from the finger of Sauron, then when he failed to destroy it, then the Dark Lord's rise again as well as his final defeat. I could name more, but you get the picture"_

Aiden stared at him with amazement, with his mouth slightly open.

" _We were quite frankly, dissatisfied with the outcomes of these conflicts. So to answer your question Aiden, you are here because we are bored"_

Aiden was having trouble reining in his anger at this point. He had lost everything because some random gods were bored!

"And why" He struggled to keep his tone level "Did you tear me away from my life?"

Ba'alzamon studied him, and shrugged. _"You are worthy"_

"And why am I worthy?" Aiden asked. Ba'alzamon stepped forwards and folded his arms.

" _I would normally give you a long speech about how brave and selfless you are, and what a perfect choice you were, but no. You were chosen because you the one lucky person out of the many others that resided in your dimension. We singled out the most worthy, and chose randomly"_

"Lucky!" Aiden shouted. "You tore me away from my life! How am I lucky?"

" _Oh come now"_ Ba'alzamon said, his echoing voice sounding annoyed. _"You didn't even enjoy your old life much. I can promise you that this will be much more interesting than your previous life"_

"But what about my parents?" Aiden asked hopefully. "Or my sister? Do they know I'm missing?"

" _They think, you are dead"_ Ba'alzamon sighed. _"I am sorry, but it was the only way to explain your disappearance. You were killed in a car accident on your way home from work"_

Aiden swallowed. He was angry beyond belief, but what what's done is done. "What do I do now?" He asked.

Ba'alzamon agreed to the changing of subject. _"You are a Warden now. You will have to follow and aid Selene in her quest to end the Blight. You may choose to change things along the way. Your abilities shall enhance overtime, and I may drop in from time to time to check on your progress"_

"Alright then….." Aiden sighed. By Ba'alzamon's tone of voice, the conversation was over.

" _Now, I believe you have a battle to lose"_ Ba'alzamon waved his hand and Aiden vanished.

He opened his eyes to see Duncan and Alistair staring at him in surprise and confusion.

 **Linebreak**

Ba'alzamon frowned as he sent the mortal back to his body. He was not sure if they were doing the right thing, revealing themselves. The universe may be better off without them. He sighed. Ah well, it was the Master's will and it was too late to back down now.

Black spots appeared in the air behind him and collected to form a hooded figure in dark clothing. The newcomer's face was pale, and strands of silver hair were visible from his hood. He raised his eyes to meet Ba'alzamon's. They were coloured an inky black, but did not glow.

" _Ishamael"_ Ba'alzamon greeted his brother. _"How fares your efforts?"_

Ishamael smiled. _"It is proceeding well brother. The Master has given us a list of individuals that would be perfect for our cause. I have recruited the mortal I choose and he had begun his mission"_ Like Ba'alzamon, Ishamael did not use his mouth to speak, yet his voice seemed to resonate from all directions.

Ba'alzamon smiled _. "Excellent! We should move quicker. I would prefer if the Order was formed soon. We will let the first two complete their missions, then introduce them, and begin recruiting more. Tell the Master everything is going as planned"_

" _As you wish"_ Ishamael bowed, then his body split apart into the black spots which vanished. Ba'alzamon gazed at the valley one last time before turning and walking away, his body fading as he did so.

There was more work to be done.

 **Linebreak**

Aiden sat on a piece of fallen masonry massaging his temple. The two wardens had been shocked to see him alive. Apparently he had convulsed horribly, and Duncan was sure he was to die.

" _Glad to prove you wrong old man"_

Aiden knocked the side of his head, trying somehow to make the latest migraine leave him.

Selene had recovered from the Joining, although she looked slightly shaken, probably due to her dreams of the Archdemon.

"Are you recovered? The meeting is about to start" Duncan asked, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the corpses of Jory and Daveth were being put on stretchers and carried away.

" _No, I'm about to die actually, but thanks for asking"_

Aiden just nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be" He looked over at Selene. "How was it?"

"I feel like shit, but otherwise? I'm good" She smiled tightly.

"Did you have dreams?" Alistair asked. "I had terrible dreams during my Joining"

"A great, big bloody dragon, who looked at me as if it was going to roast me, and the world alive" Aiden replied. Because if he told them he was speaking with a godlike being, he guessed he wouldn't be taken seriously. And perhaps carted off to whatever passed for a psychiatric hospital in this world.

"I saw the same" Selene nodded. "The evil I felt off that thing…" She shuddered.

Thankfully, Aiden's migraine had lessened somewhat and he got to his feet. "Well, we shouldn't keep the King waiting, I'm sure he has a GREAT plan to defeat the darkspawn"

Empathize on "Great"

The trio headed in the direction of the rather large table, where Cailin, and Logain were in the midst of an argument. Logain was red with anger, only the fact that Cailin was king prevented him from reaching out and shaking the young man by his shoulders. Cailin was standing with his arms crossed, staring defiantly at his father-in-law. Logain was trying to stop the king from joining the army in battle. It was a stupid plan if you thought about it. The king was obsessed with glory and he believed charging into battle with the wardens was the best way to achieve this. Cailin was latched to how the stories described war as something amazing and glorious. Aiden sighed inwardly. The king would soon find out the hard way that war was nowhere near glorious.

Duncan was standing off to one side, looking completely calm and unconcerned with what was going on in front of him. Aiden tried not to glare at Logain as they walked past him to stand behind Duncan.

"Logain, my decision is final" Cailin was saying. "I will stand by the Grey Wardens in this assault"

"You risk too much Cailin" Logain replied, managing to hold back his temper. "The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing hero on the front lines"

"If that's the case" Cailin replied haughtily. "Perhaps we should wait for the Orlesian forces to arrive after all"

Logain scowled at the mention of the Orlesians. "I must repeat my protests to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves" He turned away from the young king.

"It is not a fool notion" Cailin retorted. "Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past" He pointed at Logain, anger clear on his face. "And you will remember who is king" Good, take him down a peg Cailin.

Logain brought a hand to his face and shook his head sadly. "How fortunate Maric did not live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to those who enslaved us for a century" He clenched his fists at this. Cailin bristled, and stood straighter.

"Then our current forces will have to suffice, won't they?" He turned to the Wardens. "Duncan, are your men ready for battle?"

Duncan nodded. "They are, your Majesty"

Cailin noticed us, and smiled. "And these are the recruits I met earlier on the road? I understand congratulations are in order"

"Thank you, your Majesty" the two replied at the exact same time. They shared a look and Aiden gave her a light punch on the arm. "Jinx, you owe me a drink"

She looked at her arm then Aiden. "What does that mean?"

Aiden grinned. "It's a game. If two people say the same thing at the same time, the first one to say Jinx is owed something by the other"

"Hmm" Selene nodded with a small smile on her face. Ah there it was, a sign of happiness. The moment was ruined when Duncan cleared his throat. Cailin was watching the exchange with amusement, while Logain just looked annoyed.

"Every Grey Warden is needed now" Cailin told them. "You should be honoured to join their ranks"

"Your fascination with glory and legend will be your undoing Cailin" Logain butted in, angrily, as if he was giving a child a good scolding. "We must attend to reality!"

"Fine!" Cailin grumbled. "Speak your strategy" He placed both hands on the table and surveyed the map. "The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines, and then?"

Logain joined him at the table and spoke slowly. "You will alert the tower to light the becon, signalling my men to charge from-"

Cailin interrupted. "To flank the darkspawn, I remember. This is the tower of Ishal in the ruins, yes? Who shall light this beacon?"

"I have few men stationed there. It's not a dangerous task, but it is a vital one"

"Then we should send our best" the king said, while standing up straight. He had no idea that he had saved the lives of Aiden and the other two by saying that.

Logain, predictably was not happy. "You rely on these Grey Wardens too much. Is that truly wise?"

Now Cailin was pissed. "Enough of your conspiracy theories Logain. The Grey Wardens battle the Blight, wherever they're from"

"Your Majesty" Duncan said. "We should consider the possibility of the Archdemon appearing"

"There have been no signs of any dragons in the wilds" Logain stated. Cailin looked at Duncan.

"Isn't that what your men are hear for, Duncan?"

"I…yes, your Majesty" Duncan replied, subdued. The king and Logain did not seem too concerned with the possibility of the Archdemon. According to them, if it showed up, the Wardens would easily deal with it. Well, according to Cailin, anyway. Logain didn't believe that it was a Blight in the game.

"Your Majesty!" A frustrated looking mage came running over to the war table. "The tower and it's beacon are unnecessary, the Circle of Magi-" He was interrupted by a grey haired priestess, who shouldered him aside. "We will not trust any lives to your spells, mage. Save them for the darkspawn"

The mage balled his fist angrily, and opened his mouth to reply, when Logain intervened before things could get ugly. Aiden would have much preferred to see the priestess get splattered on the nearest pillar.

"Enough! This plan will suffice; the Grey Wardens will light the beacon"

"Thank you Logain" Cailin said, his features lighting up in a childlike grin. "I cannot wait for that glorious moment. The Grey Wardens battle beside the King of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil"

Logain began walking away, but stopped at the end of Cailin's words. "Yes Cailin" He murmured to himself, although Aiden knew exactly what he was saying. "A glorious moment for us all…."

Aiden felt guilty about the inevitable death of Cailin, but he couldn't do anything about it. It had to happen, and the rest of the story must play out as it was supposed to. He sent a last glare at the retreating Logain, before following the others back into the camp.

They paid a visit to the camp's blacksmith who almost fainted when he realised Grey Wardens were visiting "His humble self" and graciously donated a full set of chainmail armour to Aiden, as well as a new sword made out of steel with a wolf head pommel. Upon Alistair's insistence, he got himself a shield with the Warden crest painted on the front.

They said farewell to the blacksmith and re-joined Duncan at the bonfire.

"You heard the plan. You three will go to the tower of Ishal, and ensure the beacon is lit" He said.

"What!" Alistair exclaimed. "We won't be in the battle?"

Selene folded her arms and glared disapprovingly at Duncan. "We should be in the battle" She agreed.

Duncan fixed them with a stern look. "This is by the King's personal request. If the beacon is not lit, Teryn Logain's men won't know when to charge"

"So he needs three Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch just in case, right?" Alistair replied sarcastically.

"Can we join the battle afterward?" Aiden asked the Warden Commander.

"Stay with the Teryn's men and guard the tower. If you are needed, we will send word" Duncan replied. So basically a 'no' then. That was fine by Aiden, considering he knew the outcome of the battle.

"Well I'm ready then" He shrugged.

Alistair sighed with annoyance but conceded. "Yes, so am I"

Selene didn't look happy but nodded acceptance.

"You need to cross the gorge and head through the gate and up to the tower entrance. From the top you will overlook the entire valley"

"Sounds easy enough" Aiden stated.

"We will signal you when the time is right. Alistair will know what to look for"

"Are you two ready?" Alistair asked the newly appointed Wardens. After receiving affirmative nods, he turned back to Duncan. "We know what we have to do"

"Then I must join the others. From here you three are on your own. Remember, you are all Grey Wardens. I expect you to be worthy of that title" Duncan looked each of them in the eye.

"Duncan, may the Maker watch over you" Alistair told the Warden veteran.

"May he watch over us all" Duncan replied solemnly.

 **And we're back!**

 **Sorry about the delay, a combination of writer's block and just pure laziness prevented me from getting anywhere with this chapter until now. I hope you enjoyed and I promise it won't take that amount of time to upload the next chapter. If all goes well with this story, there may be a sequel, covering the adventures of another 'worthy' person who was conscripted by the brothers and their Master.**


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